Breast lift revision - can I have something less invasive than a full lift? (Photos)

I understand your concerns very well — especially about sensation and healing after already having a lollipop lift with auto-augmentation. That said, I want to be very clear and honest about anatomy and biomechanics here.Why a crescent (or other minimal) lift won’t work in your caseA crescent lift:Only adjusts a small segment of areolar skinProvides millimeters of elevation at bestDoes not correct retained areola or shape distortionDoes not reshape or support the breast internallyPlacing a crescent incision “on the lower side” is unfortunately not anatomically meaningful — it does not change the forces that caused the retained areola in the first place. That’s why these techniques often fail or make the areola look distorted.In revision cases like yours, a crescent lift would almost certainly lead to:Persistent areolar deformityWorsening scar qualityLittle to no real improvementWhy sensitivity loss is not caused by the scar patternThis is a very important misconception.Loss of sensation is related to:Pedicle choiceTension on tissuesRepeated areolar tighteningCompromised blood/nerve supplyIt is not caused by whether the scar is lollipop vs anchor.In fact, trying to “cheat” correction with a small areolar maneuver often increases tension, which is more dangerous for sensation.Why a Push-Up Lift is actually the safer revisionA Push-Up Lift (supportive mastopexy) in revision cases:Reshapes and supports the breast internallyCorrects the retained areola by redistributing your own tissue, not tightening the areola furtherUses low-tension closure, which is better for:HealingScar qualityNerve preservationDoes not require further areola reductionDoes not lift the breast higher if that’s not your goalIf an anchor pattern is needed, it’s not because you “need a bigger lift,” but because it allows tension to be spread safely instead of concentrated around the nipple.About healing and prior issuesIn revision surgery, less invasive does not mean safer.What causes healing problems is:High tensionPoor force distributionRe-tightening the areola instead of fixing structureA Push-Up Lift is specifically designed to avoid those pitfalls.

Dear arhea7,

breast revision surgery is the most difficult plastic surgery procedure performed. Botched breast surgery alters normal tissue planes and laxity, the ability of breasts to heal properly, and leaves scar tissue that dramatically affects the level of difficulty of the corrective surgery.
Many patients come in to correct poor outcomes from their initial surgeries. The most common problems are due to implant malposition, bottoming out of the implant, poor scarring, and incorrect implant size.
While the type of revision required will depend on the result of the previous surgery and the desired result of the patient, some revisions involve extensive pocket repair that may or may not need specialized external bras.
If you are considering breast surgery revision, you should speak with a board certified plastic surgeon and have yourself properly assessed. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations. Also, you have to make sure that your surgeon understands your breast augmentation goals.


Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Your nipple areolar complex (NAC) is 'star gazing' because you have drop out of your breast tissue, a common phenomenon after a lift where insufficient tissue has been removed. Have you ever wondered what that dark skin is under your NAC on either side of your vertical scar is? That's your residual areolar skin that wasn't (couldn't) be removed. You have a choice: 1. a full revision lift that will mostly remove skin above your inframammary scar (if you have one, your appearance is actually most commonly seen with 'lollipop' scar pattern lifts where no skin is removed below the breast, failing to address vertical skin excess) and also removing the residual areolar skin, or 2. a simple removal of skin below the breast the breast at the inframammary fold.

Your concerns are very understandable, especially after already going through a lift and noticing changes in sensitivity. It’s completely natural to want the smallest adjustment possible this time, with minimal additional scarring or healing risks.
A crescent lift or a lower incision can sound appealing because it’s less invasive, but unfortunately, these limited techniques don’t always allow enough control to correct issues like retained areola tissue or contour irregularities from a prior lift. The crescent approach can slightly reposition or tighten the areola, but it doesn’t address deeper tissue or skin laxity beneath, so in most revision cases, it wouldn’t provide a meaningful or lasting improvement.
Because you’ve already had a lollipop lift with auto-augmentation, your tissue has internal scar patterns that make surgical adjustments more complex. A more comprehensive technique, sometimes a modified anchor or vertical revision, allows the surgeon to carefully reshape and smooth the area without excessively stretching or thinning the skin. Done correctly, it can refine the result while preserving blood supply and minimizing further sensitivity loss.
As for your concern about nipple sensation, that’s an important conversation to have before any revision. Sensitivity is often preserved when the tissue around the nipple is handled gently and the blood and nerve supply are respected. In many cases, a skilled revision can actually improve appearance without significantly affecting what sensitivity remains.
You’re right to want to protect your results and your comfort. A personalized evaluation with a surgeon experienced in revision mastopexy can help determine if a subtle, tailored approach is possible, one that refines your shape without risking further loss of sensation or healing complications.
Dr. Sibel Atalay, MDBoard-Certified Plastic Surgeon & Destination Doctor

The best breast lift option for you depends on what you want to achieve.

If you just desire removal of the residual areola at the bottom, that can be done in the office by simply excising the tissue. This will not change the shape of our breast or lift it in any way,

If you feel you are not full enough at the top, then a small implant could be added for a rounder look. This would avoid incisions around the areola.

The other option is re-doing the auto-augmentation which involves the most work, and could further affect nipple sensitivity.

Have a good discussion with a plastic surgeon once you decide on your goals.

Thank you for your question. By history and judging from your picture, you have undergone a limited-scar mastopexy with a lollipop incision and have now developed progressive sliding down of the implant with bottoming out of the breast. The short answer to your question is that to repair this defect will require a full breast lift without moving the nipple-areolar complex as most of the problem is in the inferior portion of the breast. To understand what I am explaining, let me propose the following: The basic problem with saggy breasts is that the structural integrity of the breast tissue itself becomes weak and tissue falls off the chest wall. To a greater or lesser degree, the areola complex descends as well. In recent years, breast lifts have tried to limit the scar by either placing it around the areola as in a Benelli breast lift, or a Lejour type lift with a lollipop incision. Both of these techniques can be effective at repositioning the nipple areolar complex, but both suffer from the fact that it's a weak lift with regard to breast tissue. Added to that is as breasts begin to sag, they get extra skin in a vertical dimension, which is addressed by repositioning the nipple, but also in a horizontal dimension, which requires an inverted T or anchor incision to address. In your circumstance, the big problem is laxity of the lower pole of the breast, which can only be corrected by a formal lift. Judging from your previous incisional scars, the new scar will fade in time. The lift would need some internal support with internal sutures (as I do it) or maybe mesh if you want an implant. I hope this has been helpful.

Hello!
Thanks for sharing your concerns.
When we do a breast lift we are reducing the size of a 3D shape, treating the side-to-side excess (with a vertical incision), the up-down length (with a horizontal incision at the breast fold) and sometimes we need to reduce part of the content tissue to make it fit on the new lifted position.
In your case, the up-down excess seems to be predominant (the long distance between the nipple and your bottom fold). I don't see a problem with do a limited skin reduction at the bottom fold without changing the rest. There is a trade-off though: The breast shape will change from being round to being oval in a side-to-side direction as this lenght wasn't changed. With time it will probably round up again.
So answering your questions, yes, it is possible with some trade-offs that your surgeon could explain in person with a good exam.
Hope this helps!
Rafael Ramos Vecchio MDPlastic and Reconstructive SurgeonCoral Gables, FL

Based on your post photos, revision of the vertical full breast lift scar to decrease the noticeable nipple complex hyper pigmentation or brown areas can be done under local anesthesia. Best of virtual consult with for better explanation. Expect fee to range from $1200-$3000..